Domestic violence is a form of battery and is defined in Florida Statute § 741.28, which says that any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member, is domestic violence.

With regard to “family or household member,” any two people whom currently reside together, formerly resided together, or have one or more children together without regard to current or former living arrangements may qualify under the statutory language. 

In most situations, domestic violence is simply described as a regular battery which occurs between two people who live together or have children together.

Domestic violence is typically used as an aggravating factor for battery, and Bay County judges will normally require probation and anger management counseling if someone is adjudicated guilty of domestic violence battery, in addition to the normal battery penalties.